Ultapani Forest Range office under Haltugaon Forest Division vandalized

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Forest Range Office at Ultapani under Haltugaon Forest Division near the Indo-Bhutan border was ransacked and vandalized on Monday evening. As many as eight persons have been arrested in this connection.

The miscreants damaged four vehicles, including the official Bolero of the Range Officer. Two motorcycles, bicycles and all official assets were also badly damaged. The attackers from No. 2 Ultapani forest village reportedly came and ransacked the office and damaged property. The forest officials informed that the miscreants had also tried to set the official property on fire but left without doing so.

Sources from the forest department said that two timber smugglers had been arrested a day before the vandalism. These timber smugglers had been running illegal saw mills, besides being involved in illegal cutting of trees. The timber smugglers were reportedly beaten up by forest guards and this could be the reason that the smugglers, with the help of some villagers, attacked the forest office and severely damaged the official property. State Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma on Tuesday expressed concern over the incident and said that there should be proper inquiry into the incident.